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Please tell me I am not the only one out there who does not buy wrapping paper. Sure we have some, but that’s only because every few years or so I help my mother clean out her storage room. I typically end up going home with a couple rolls of wrapping paper, along with a few other odds and ends.
When the HH and I were first married I would splurge and buy pretty wrapping paper and ribbons {even though we totally could not afford it}. Then one Christmas I noticed all sorts of shiny paper and ribbons being tossed in the trash.
So what did I do? I completely embarrassed my husband and pulled all the good stuff from the trash. That year I ended up salvaging enough pretty paper and bows to last us through the following Christmas.
And to this day, I continue to do so. Birthdays, Christmas, Baby Showers, it doesn’t matter. If it’s headed for the trash, either The Girl or I will swoop it up and save it for a later date.
Do YOU do this too? Or are we just totally crazy?
~Mavis
Erin Kerbs says
I do buy wrapping paper and do not save it from occasion to occasion, but I do save bows, ribbon and gift bags/boxes. I usually buy mine after Christmas and get plain colors that work for birthdays and other times too. This year I was able to get over 12 rolls for $3 at an estate sale, and most of those rolls are brand new. I don’t think I’ll have to buy paper for the rest of my life, and I’ll feel even less guilty about tossing it (in the recycle bin) after it is used.
Daizy says
I do it, too. Everyone in our crowd supports/enables my scrounging habit which is very handy.
Ashley says
In my family we circulate the same hand full of gift bags for years and years. Extra points if you can remember the last occasion it was used for!
Tessa says
You aren’t crazy. I think it is great. We do a lot of brown paper bag wrapping here, especially for birthdays. I used to buy the fancy bags or theme paper, but I’m so bought into not spending money frivolously that I have started looking for alternatives. And since my kids are still doing what I ask them to, I enlist them to do the decorating on the bags with crayons and markers. We then cut the paper just like you would regular wrapping paper. We have also taken to making our own cards and invitations. I’m looking at doing many homemade gifts to go along with the homemade wrapping. Thanks Mavis for all the great ideas in the pics! You continue to be very inspirational!
Brooke Ross says
I do the same thing! And when I open gifts I open them very carefully so that I can save and reuse the wrapping paper (my BIL always makes fun of me for doing this). And I always save bags, bows, boxes to reuse again and again. I have bought wrapping paper in the past when it was 90% off after Christmas, so with the stash I have now I really don’t think I will ever have to buy any ever again 🙂
Kari A. says
I’m with you — I reuse as much as I can. I always offer to bag up the “garbage” after the presents are open. However, any usable box, bow, bag, or piece of paper goes home with me! I did buy 1 roll of paper this year — a penguin print for my 4 year old who loves penguins.
Tera says
We buy a big roll of butcher paper from Ikea and my girls color and sticker it up to give as gifts to friends/family! We also use the comics a lot. I *do* buy wrapping paper though occasionaly 🙂
Sue says
I think that this is the first time that I have ever not agreed with Mavis. I can’t stand it when people collect the used wrapping paper at a party/holiday and purposely try my best to shred it beyond usability.
Gift bags are totally another story though! $4.99 each?! They better get a few uses!
Jules says
Gift bags – Yes! I smooth out the tissue paper and reuse it unless it is torn or crumpled beyond repair. We use a lot of comics in our wrapping too, and brown paper. I love the photos on the brown paper boxes – very cool!
Linda says
Yes I do the same thing too!!!
Lisa says
My parents, sister and I all agree that it’s a waste of money buying expensive paper and even cards. As we all know you can gets free cards frequently online, but for paper we just use newspaper unless we happen to get some free. If the gift is for someone out of the family, we definately buy new gift wrap, but usually at the dollar store!
Thrifty Mom in Boise says
I am totally with you! On Christmas morning I gather up the tissue, bags and bows plus any wrapping paper that can be re-used. This year I bought absolutely nothing and all our gifts are wrapped and look really nice.
Michelle Wright says
I reuse gift bags all the time, as long as they still look new! Also, even when I give a gift bag I don;’t write on the tag that comes with it so someone else can re-use it as well. I think there is more of that going on than not.
AlysonRR says
We’ve made fabric bags with inexpensive holiday fabric, attach some crocheted ties, and use them year after year.
I also recycle paper and bows from presents we receive. I’ve used newspaper, kraft paper, construction paper, and even Mylar balloons (cut off the nozzle to make room to put the present, or cut it open entirely).
Lissa says
I have ALWAYS done this. Seriously, as long as I can remember, I was the child who carefully pried the tape off my presents so that I could save the paper. It made my sister CRAZY because I took so long to open my presents and we had to take turns. Family who knew this was nice and only secured my presents with a few bits of tape. I always had an extra box full of carefully folded used paper, bags, tissue, ribbon, and bows that I took home, along with my presents.
Now, I do occasionally buy new wrapping paper because I have a love affair with it, but right now I have such a stash and give so few large presents that I am set for a few years. 🙂
LaToya says
Wrapping is one of my splurges. I see my mother and my mother-in-law at Christmas and birthdays, diving to salvage the wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons and do not want to get caught up in that crossfire, so I buy my own. That being said, I buy the big rolls at Costco – last time was 5 years ago, I think – so I have nice paper, but it was well-priced and has lasted me. I do like to wrap things fun and different though like some of the pictures you have above. I love wrapping. One of my favorite things to do.
Lynne says
I love to wrap presents, but keep the madness down by sticking to large rolls of a few patterns in similar colors and reasonably-coordinating ribbons and gift tags. I am not much for wrapping-paper salvage, but I recycle gift bags with impunity. My sister and I bought some decorated, nested boxes in an after-Christmas sale, and we’ve been using those for gifts between us for years now. You could decorate your own sturdy boxes, of course, but the nesting feature makes storage easier. I love the alternative-wrapping suggestions, especially the towel. You can always pick up cute towels at dollar stores, and I’ve already spotted some good sales on nicer seasonal kitchen towels in places like Kohl’s and Costco. These are all great ideas!
Tara says
I like to make my own Christmas (and other occasions) gift bags. I buy clearenced fabric and save ribbons from gifts we’ve received. Then I sew up bags of all sizes. Each year I make a few new ones and give away a few old and new. My stash grows and I don’t have to worry about buying paper ever again. Sometimes I collect lightly used wrapping paper and I have even been known to cut off the picture half of cards and make new ones out of them. I just hope I don’t send the same picture card to the person whom I received it from.
Ledith says
I LOVED the idea of brown paper with pictures on the front. I will absolutely be stealing that idea.